By Laith Al-jnaidi and Rania Abushamala
DAMASCUS/ISTANBUL (AA) – The first shipment of crude oil from Deir ez-Zor province in eastern Syria arrived at the Syrian Petroleum Company’s terminal on Sunday in the coastal city of Baniyas.
“The first shipment of crude oil transported by land from the al-Omar and al-Tank fields in Deir ez-Zor province were brought at the Syrian Petroleum Company’s terminal in the city of Baniyas,” the Tartus Governorate said in a statement on its Telegram channel.
“The oil was shipped after the two fields were liberated (from the terror group YPG/SDF) and returned to production.”
The governorate said the shipment included 20 oil tankers, “which were unloaded into the designated storage tanks at the Baniyas refinery under the supervision of specialized technical staff.”
The shipment “is the first of its kind since the state regained control over the oil fields in the eastern region and represents an important step toward rehabilitating infrastructure and boosting domestic oil production.”
According to observers, the Syrian government’s full control of oil and gas fields following the SDF expulsion marks the most significant economic turning point in the country in decades.
Syria’s oil reserves are estimated at around 2.5 billion barrels, with current production estimated at about 100,000 barrels per day. The country also holds gas reserves of approximately 285 billion cubic meters, with current production estimated at around 12.5 million cubic meters.
These reserves indicate that Syria possesses vast and promising resources, particularly with improving security and political stability in the eastern regions.